One of my favourite genres of games is JRPGs and a standout is the xeno metaseries. Its a series composed of different IPs owned by different companies with a shared developer. A development team from Square Enix (then squaresoft) led by Tetsuya Takahashi who had worked on Final fantasy V, VI and led the team for Chrono Chross, submitted an idea for final fantasy VII, it ended up being considered to dark and sci fi for a FF series. The game was made as a new IP, Xenogears http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTx8iG52Ruo The game featured mechs and unique gameplay, anime style cut scenes and a deep storyline involving nihilism, gnostiscm and religious discussion as well as reincarnation, betrayal and loyalty, identity, and memory and split personalities. Takahashi wanted to make more games in the series but square wasn't interested, preferring to work on final fantasy. This is where things change for and it becomes a metaseries. Takahashi let to form a new company Monolith Soft which published as a subsidiary of Namco Banda who released the Xenosaga games. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPkF0Kbbv1I There were 3 main games, some spinoffs and an anime. A far deeper plot and thought of as a continuity reboot continuing the themes and taking them further. The games were named after the works of Friedrich Nietzsche and more references to his work are in the games. The games developed cult status but although the series was intended to be six games long, sales were not high. This series ended after the third game and the future is unlikely to yield more xenosaga games. In 2007 Namco sold 80% of the shares of Monolith Soft to Nintendo and later sold the rest of the shares they had to Nintendo making monolith a First party developer for Nintendo. At Nintendo Monolith worked on a few games such as disaster day of crisis before releasing their most commercially successful and critically acclaimed title yet, Xenoblade chronicles for the Wii, the most recent release in the Xeno Metaseries http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Xc6in86rs Originally titled Monado: Beginning of the World, the game was renamed Xenoblade to honor Takahashi. And now there is a new game coming, while its unclear if its a sequel to Xenoblade or spiritual sequel, its definitely a Xeno game and looks to be the best one yet. I'm excited for the future of the Xeno Series http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GxUMMGyZcM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APWTJMyM4qg
